MLB Player News

The Rangers selected Walsh's contract from Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday.

Walsh was able to win a spot on Texas' Opening Day roster after putting up an .827 OPS with three home runs this spring. He's likely in line to see most of the at-bats at first base against right-handed pitching while Nathaniel Lowe (oblique) is on the shelf.

The Cubs selected Cooper's contract from Triple-A Iowa on Thursday.

Cooper posted a .927 OPS with three long balls this spring to secure a spot on the Cubs' Opening Day roster. He figures to mostly play against lefties but offers an option at designated hitter and will also provide protection at first base for Michael Busch.

Horwitz was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on Sunday.

The 26-year-old came into camp hoping to land a backup job at first base behind Vladimir Guerrero, but Horwitz batted only .125 (5-for-40) in Grapefruit League action, and the signings of Daniel Vogelbach and Joey Votto (ankle) cut off his path to the 26-man roster. Horwitz slashed .337/.450/.495 with 10 homers in 107 games for Buffalo last season, but he may need to add more power to his profile to get serious consideration for a regular job in the majors.

O'Hearn is absent from the lineup for Thursday's season opener versus the Angels.

The Angels are rolling out southpaw Patrick Sandoval, so Ryan Mountcastle will be at first base and Jordan Westburg will serve as the designated hitter. O'Hearn will be a regular against righties, either at first base or DH.

Sano will start at designated hitter and bat seventh in Thursday's season opener versus the Orioles.

Not only did Sano make the team after going to camp as a non-roster invitee, but he will be part of the batting order for Opening Day. The Angels could still ultimately rotate through multiple players in the DH spot, but Sano's power gives him some deep-league relevancy should he find regular playing time.

Kirilloff is out of the lineup for Thursday's season opener against the Royals.

The Twins are going with Manuel Margot at designated hitter as the Royals throw left-hander Cole Ragans. Kirilloff is in line to be the team's primary DH versus right-handed pitching.

Votto (ankle) will remain at the Blue Jays' spring training complex and go through a full build-up before beginning a minor-league assignment, Gregor Chisholm of the Toronto Star reports.

As the 40-year-old won't even begin that progression until his ankle is fully healed, he isn't expected to see MLB action for another month or more. That could put Votto in line to make his Toronto debut in May, but whether he gets added to the big-league roster when ready will depend on how Daniel Vogelbach performs over the first month of the season.

The Angels selected Sano's contract from Triple-A Salt Lake on Wednesday.

Just as manager Ron Washington indicated would be the case Tuesday, Sano was added to the Angels' 40-man and 26-man rosters ahead of Thursday's season opener versus the Orioles. Sano, who has four seasons of 25-plus home runs on his resume, didn't play at all in affiliated ball during the 2023 season but joined the Halos for spring training and popped four long balls over 54 at-bats in Cactus League play. However, Sano also struck out 20 times, and his boom-or-bust tendencies will likely result in him being limited to a bench role unless injuries open up an opportunity for regular playing time.

The Rays placed Aranda (finger) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday.

Aranda is expected to be out until at least early May after having surgery March 21 to insert a pin in his fractured right ring finger. The 25-year-old had been slated to open the season as Tampa Bay's primary designated hitter against right-handed pitching, and he should eventually reclaim that role once healthy.

Freeman batted third in the order for both Seoul Series games against the Padres as well as throughout the Cactus League slate, contradicting a comment by manager Dave Roberts early in camp that the first baseman would remain the Dodgers' No. 2 hitter despite the offseason signing of Shohei Ohtani.

Freeman batted second in each of the 161 games he played in last season, but it appears he'll move down a slot with Ohtani now in the fold. The veteran first baseman should get plenty of run-producing opportunities with Mookie Betts and Ohtani hitting ahead of him, and he'll also remain protected with the solid bat of catcher Will Smith behind him for most games. Freeman slashed .282/.333/.667 along with four homers and a team-leading 16 RBI over 42 plate appearances in spring action and went 1-for-6 with four walks in the Seoul Series versus San Diego.